OWFilm World Cup Quarter Final: Spain vs. Brazil
Eight films left... three wins away from taking the ultimate OWFilm World Cup crown. Let's get it on...
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Obsessed With Film Quarter Finals
Pans Labryinth have breezed through their opposition so far but this clash promises to far more challenging as the films opponent City of God is not only artistically proficient but also highly entertaining and accessible for a wide range of audiences. These two modern films have earned many admirers; both amongst mainstream audiences and the critics but today their destiny is in your hands. Which nation will become the first to enter the final four of the obsessed with film world cup? Tale of the reel is after the jump...Pans Labryinth (2006)
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OSCAR COUNT (3) IMDB (8.4, #68) RT 95% EMPIRE TOP 500: (#132nd)
Won Oscars for Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction and Best Make-up
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Pans Labryinth presents the darker side of the fairy tale, albeit one without the fleeting close ups and uplifting sentimentality. Its $37 million domestic box office proves however that there is an adult audience for the genre when it is handled with such creative flair and told with such bold emotion. The film works as both a war story featuring some brilliant character studies of courage and cowardice and as a fascinating fantasy tale where creatures such as the Pale Man both excite and disturb in equal measure. Ultimately director Guillermo del Toro pulls off a major feat in being able to ground fantasy in the harshness of the real world. What he creates is an awesome visual spectacle carried through with great gusto and heart. In 2006 esteemed critics Roger Ebert and Mark Kermode both named Pans Labryinth as their film of the year. INTERESTING FACT: The film received twenty two minutes of applause at the Cannes Film Festival. City of God (2002)
OSCAR COUNT (0) IMDB (8.8, #17) RT (92%) EMPIRE TOP 500 (#177TH)
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Upon its release in 2003, City of God received hugely positive widespread reviews and was quickly hailed as the Brazilian Goodfellas. This is quite the compliment indeed but a commendable one at that as the film certainly keeps pace with Scorseses mafia classic in regards to its energetically driven storylines and its array of eccentric and striking characters. Director Fernando Meirelles has a fine handle on how to tell a story and he brings out the best from the films larger than life characters in order to present various emotional layers of warmth, humour, horror, adventure and tension. Ultimately we are told the story through the narration of the kind hearted and good natured protagonist Rocket and the longer we spend with him in the gangland environment the more we wish for him to escape and fulfil his dream of becoming a photographer. Although the film can be a little excessively whacky in places, it is careful still to show the tragic nature of slum life such as little kids finding their way into gangs and innocent people dying. There is also a brilliantly mirrored ending where a gang of youths are inspired by the carnage of war and plan their own path of dominance. No-one has learnt anything from the bloodshed. It is the films cleverly woven mixture of exciting set-pieces and harrowing details surrounding the gang culture which paint a brilliant picture of a world which is most comfortably viewed from a distance. For our protagonist this distance is protected through the lens of a camera and for us its protected through the medium of film. A true twenty first century classic. INTERESTING FACT: Actor Leandro Firmino is from the actual City of God and only attended the auditions for the film to keep his friend company. He had no plans to be in the film itself yet ended up playing the role of the films key antagonist Ze Pequeno. Makes you wonder how much acting was really involved.